Sunday, 21 February 2010

First Sunday of Lent

So, there I was, trying to be all extra-holy during Lent.

Fasting? Check.

Almsgiving? Check.

Praying? Double check.

Quite pleased with myself you might say, even though we are only into the first week.

Anyway, I thought I had better tackle the ironing, which had once again assumed Biblical proportions, and while I was doing it, I put on a CD of a talk by a priest called Fr. Jack McArdle. (Told you I was being extra holy).

Well, I was enjoying myself, because he was quite comical, and I do like a comical priest, when all of a sudden, he started talking about....forgiveness.

Here's what he said:

Forgiveness is healing. No matter how hard it can be, to forgive someone releases you from the bondage that they have over you by the act they committed.

Forgive. Even if it takes time due to the severity of the act, forgive.

Remember the Lord's Prayer and its conditions for receiving God's mercy:

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

If we don't forgive others for the wrongs they have committed against us, we cannot expect God to forgive us for the wrongs we have committed.

You can start small by opening up to the person. A small act of kindness can smooth the way for forgiveness.

Well.

You may remember that the Father of This Lot and I are still 'daggers drawn' over his latest escapade.

To give him his due, he has made one feeble attempt to start talking, which I resisted.

A bit like this:

(Actually, this picture does look a bit like me. It looks nothing like the Father of This Lot, apart from that shifty, 'has-she-fallen-for-it' expression.....)

Sorry. It's tough being holy AND married to the FOTL.

Anyway, it dawned on me that now matter how extra-holy-during-Lent I'm trying to be doesn't matter a jot unless I start getting down to brass tacks. And I reckon nursing a two-week-old grudge qualifies as a brass tack.

So, as difficult as it might be, I suppose I'd better bite the bullet.

13 comments:

It still amazes me that the same atonement of Jesus Christ that allows me to be forgiven, provides the means for me to forgive other people. I know that it can really take some time, but I know just as well that it is a real power. Thanks for the reminder!

Kudos to you as the kids say. That takes guts to apply to ourselves personally, more guts to tell some one (or the world) and even more guts to do something about it. For "guts" read "faith" - keep going Jackie. You know it will be worth it in the end.

I usually start by deciding not to mention husband's misdemeanour any more; the forgetting is a start to forgiving. I'm still not sure I've forgiven him for Icelandgate yet (see http://workingmumonverge.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-year-resolution.html if you missed it), but I haven't mentioned it since the start of the year so I'm getting there!

Yeah, know what you mean, I'm Queen of sulking for an unhealthily long time ... best to just make up with whoever's pissed you off and forget about it. Nobody's perfect after all! (apart from me, of course).Anyway good luck :-)

Forgiveness, along with not seeking revenge are two things I have always tried to impress upon my kids. Neither one is necessarily easy to do but both do bring a tremendous amount of relief to the one doing the forgiving or not seeking revenge. I do have more problems on the follow-through with the forgiveness as sometimes it takes me a while to get it firmly planted. The revenge thing I've got that one pretty well down pat now. (Only time I will scheme to get revenge is over a practical joke and then, I will go to all lengths to get even with the perpetrator!) Keep working on the forgiveness as it really is the best thing you can do for yourself.